Traveling stairway.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

I.H.VENN. V TRAVELING STAIRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 M DBLL Elawzntou ,ZM /4 A attend-e130 PATENTED MAY 12, 1903-.

' I. H. VENN.

TRAVELING STAIRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21. 1901. no MODEL. I 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i l I m: NcRms PETEHS c0. PnoTaL'lTuu. wnsumcron, 4:4;v

No. 727,720, I I 1 PATENTED'MAY 12,1903.

I. H. VBNN. TRAVELING STAIRWAY.

. APPLICATION FILED we. 21. '1901. no MODEL. 4 sums-sum s.

' nvautoz,

WW I w W abtoz nmao I n: NORRIS PETERS cc.v PHu'mJJrHQ, WASHINGTON D c l T D STATES? fPatented. May 12; 1263 PATENT QFFICE ISAAC HAMBLETON VENN, OF YONKERs, NEW YORK, AssieNoR TO OTIS ELEVATOR OOMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION S TAIRWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,720, dated May 12, 1903.

- 7 Application filed August 21, 1901. Serial No. 72,791. (No model.)

To wZZ whom, it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, IsAAo, HAMBLETON VENN, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling Stair ways, of which the following is a 'sp'ecifica-' tion.

My invention relates to that class of trav- IO eling stairways in which a 'seriesofsteps are connected together so as to travel upon hori zontal or inclined planes; and my invention consists in so constructing and connecting the steps that they may be carried in straight or 15 curved lines, either horizontally or upon an incline, and at all times preserving the contact of each tread with the adjacent riser, as fully setforth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation showing two connected steps of the chain of steps of a traveling stairway; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an end view showing a series of four steps, one elevated; Fig. 4, a plan of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an inverted plan View of Fig.1; Fig, 6, a diagram indicating the relations of the treads in a partially-horizontal curve and partially-inclined straight course in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5; Fig. 7, a perspective view illustrating the construction where the treads of the steps are of uniform width; Fig. 8, an inverted plan of two of the steps shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a perspective diagram indicating the course which the steps 5 can take in the construction shown in Figs;

7 and 8. 7'

Each step A has opposite side pieces 11, a, tread 2, and a riser 3, and in some instances there may be a second riser 4=at the opposite 40 side, the additional riser being required if the steps must ascend upon an incline and thereafterdescendupon anotherincline. The central lines at of the treads must be parallel when the series ofsteps travel upon an incline, but must diverge when the steps are on a horizontal support, and it is therefore necessary that the steps in passing from a position with the treads flush with each other to one with the treads in difierent planes shall have a swinging motion,their outer ends swinging to a greater extent than their inner ends in a circle whose diameter is that of the circle to which the curved portion of the track conforms. To secure this result, I make use of flexible connections between the steps, which connections at the outer ends of the steps are capable of greater movement than those at the inner ends; Preferablythese connections are linked connections,-land as the steps must rise andfall in respect to each other and also beicarried from parallel to radial-positions the links must'have double joints. the treads of the steps are widest at the As shown i-n'Figs. 2 and 5, where outer ends, the outer connection B consists of two links 7 8, connected by a universal joint, the link 7swinging on the stud 9, which may be the axis of the flanged wheel 10,

while the link 8 swings on a stud 12, which may be part of a shaft 13, upon which is the intermediate wheel 14,. The connection D at the inner ends of the steps consists of two links 15 16, longer than the links 7 8, jointed 'at'thei'r inner ends, the link 15, swinging on the stud 19,constituting the axle of the innerjflanged wheells of one step, while the link 16 extends to the stud constituting the 'axle of the inner wheel 18 of the other step.

each tread against the face of the adjacent riser under these' movements of the steps, I .make each riser with an outward curve,which .curve increases. from one end to the other, but extends inward to a greater extent at one end than at the other, as shown.

The proportions and connections ofthe linkage or flexible connections and the curvature of the risers will depend somewhat upon the formation of the treads. If, as in Figs. 7 and 8, the treads are of equal width throughout, then the risers 3 will swell outward beyond the forward lines of the steps at the outer ends and will swing inward to the greatest extent at the inner ends instead of at the outer ends, as when the treads increase in width outwardly. 4 In the latter case also the axes w v of the shafts or studs carrying the outer and the inner intermediate wheels are at an angle to each other instead of parallel, as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

I do not here claim the particular construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, but illustrate the same in order to show the application of my invention in its broad sense in connection with steps having treads of different shapes.

The supporting-wheels may be differently arranged, the intermediate wheels 14, however, being upon axes which do not coincide with those of the outer wheels, so as to afford separated bearings upon the outer rails E E and inner rail F,which prevent the steps from tilting, preserving the treads in horizontal position, and preferably the treads and risers extend beyond the end pieces 1 1, so that the links and end wheels may be below the treads, the outer rails also therefore being below the treads. For increased stability I prefer to connect the side pieces by connecting rods 20 near their lower ends. It will be evident that the side pieces may be diiferently shaped and that the supporting wheels and links may be arranged in difierent positions from those shown. i

In Fig. 6 I have shown the course which steps having treads of gradually-increasing Width may take in which the steps travel in a curved or circular course at 0000' when the treads are in the same plane and upon a straight but inclined course at y y when the treads are one above the other. In the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the steps can take either a curved course or an incline when the treads are one above the other; but when the treads'are flush with each other the steps travel in a straight course in any desired direction, the two structures being thus adapted to different conditions, but in either case the adaptability being secured by flexible orlink connections of different characters at difierent ends of the steps and by providing the steps with risers curved to different degrees in extending from one end to the other to thereby maintain the edges of the treads constantly in contact with the faces of the risers in all positions.

I have notattempted to illustrate the means for imparting movement to the chain of steps, as any of the wellknown means heretofore devised for such purposes may be employed.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim 1. A traveling stairway having a series of steps and with risers curved to a greater extent at one end than the other, substantially as set forth.

2. A traveling stairway having a series of steps and with risers curved to a greater extent at one end than the other, with link connections between the steps permitting the steps to be shifted from a level to an incline and from parallel to radial positions while preserving at all times the contact of each tread with the riser of the adjacent step, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a series of link-connected steps each having a riser curved and extending inward to a greater degree at the lower edge of one end than at the other, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a series of link-connected steps each having at each side a riser curved and extending inward to a greater degree at the lower edge of one end than at the other, substantially as set forth.-

5. The combination of a series of link steps each having a riser curved and extending inward to a greater degree at the lower edge of one end than at the other with double-jointed link connections,substantially as setforth.

G. The combination of a series of link-connected steps each having a riser curved and extending inward to a greater degree at the lower edge at one end than at the other and with side and intermediate supportingwheels, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in a traveling stairway of a series of flexibly-connected steps each with a tread widening toward the outer end, and with a curved riser extending inward to a greater extent at the outer than at the inner end, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination in a traveling stairway, of a series of steps with risers curved as set forth, and link connections greater in length at one end than at theother, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination in a traveling stairway, of a series of steps with risers curved as set forth, and double-jointed link connections greater in length at one end than at the other, substantially as set forth.

10. A traveling stairway provided with supporting-rails with level, inclined and curved portions, and flexibly-connected steps having wheels adapted to the rails, and each with a riser curved to a. greater extent at one end than the other to preserve contact with the adjacent tread at all times, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC HAMBLETON VENN.

Witnesses:

HARRY H. HOLMSTROM, ROLAND R. DENNIS. 

